Now the time has come that more and more Internet resources are blocked for visiting for political reasons (China, North Korea, Ukraine), and for reasons of the market for the use of certain online services (USA). To circumvent such restrictions, special programs and resources were created that are hosted on the World Wide Web, which are commonly called VPN clients and tunneling proxies. One of the simplest, but at the same time very unusual applications is a small program called TunnelBear. How to use TunnelBear on a PC or on a mobile device will be discussed later.
What is TunnelBear?
And to begin with, let's determine what this software product is. In its broadest sense, this program is indeed a VPN client. However, it does not always integrate into browsers, as some add-ons to web browsers do, and it changes the settings of the computer’s external IP address for all installed applications that could theoretically access some resource blocked for a certain region of the user's location .
In principle, in some ways this program is similar to the notorious SafeIP utility. But why then does it cause such genuine interest from users and incredible delight? Yes, just because using it is very simple. Settings, as such, do not need to be changed much, and the interface is very unusual. Despite the fact that it is presented in English, special knowledge in this case will not be required, since everything is already clear, and the process of work is more like some kind of game.
The application is cross-platform, and its versions can be found for completely different desktop and mobile operating systems. The only drawback is that the program is shareware and has its limitations on free use in the form of a traffic limit (we will dwell on this later).
Software Installation and Registration
So how to use TunnelBear? First, the application must be downloaded and installed. There is nothing complicated about it.
On the official resource, you can immediately select a program modification and download either the installer for the entire operating system as a whole, or download the extension for a supported browser (alas, only for Chrome and Opera). The latest Windows installation executable file is run as administrator (if super administrator record is not disabled), after which it remains just to follow the instructions of the “Installation Wizard”.
For browsers, you do not need to install the client, because after clicking on the link, a button will immediately add the extension to the browser.
At one of the installation stages, a window appears with a registration offer, which must be completed without fail. The immediate choice of the region can be postponed, after which it will be necessary to confirm the registration. But there may be problems with receiving the letter, so you will have to wait a bit or request a re-sending. But we assume that the creation of the account is confirmed and the program is installed.
Note: if the message is not received, install the extension for the browser. In theory, there will be no problems with him, although you will have to confirm the mail address in any case.
How to use TunnelBear VPN: getting to know the interface
Now let's move on to the program itself. So how to use TunnelBear? The program interface is made in the form of a world map indicating your location with an image of some kind of beast, and around there are tunnels that represent some routes through which you can connect to the necessary resources.
To change the location, you can use the VPN enable button with automatic change of location (ON / OFF), after which the bear will begin to dig a tunnel. If it requires manual selection, you just need to click on the desired state shown on the map and confirm the connection via VPN.
How to use TunnelBear on your computer: some important settings
As you can see, there is nothing particularly complicated. However, speaking about how to use TunnelBear, a few words about application settings are worth mentioning separately.
There are not many of them, but special attention needs to be paid to starting the application with the system, as well as settings for tooltips and notifications. Among other things, when choosing some locations, the Internet speed can drop quite significantly.
A few words about mobile devices
With mobile devices, the situation is somewhat more complicated. If we talk about how to use TunnelBear on such devices, it is especially worth noting that during the installation of the client you will need to agree to the installation of special certificates. Another trouble, in particular the owners of "apple" gadgets, lies in wait in a situation where the battery level is noticeably reduced. iOS disconnects the VPN connection on its own, and there is no way to activate it.
Issue price
It goes without saying that quite often there are questions about how to use TunnelBear for free, because the application, as mentioned above, is shareware. Currently, the traffic limit is about 500 MB per month. If you want to get more, you can share a flattering review about the program (plus 1 GB), for unlimited on a computer and two mobile devices, the price will be $ 5 per month or $ 50 per year. As for reducing the connection speed, there is nothing to be done about it. She, for example, when choosing as the location of the UK can fall five times! This can be avoided by adding to the special list some sites for which traffic will go directly.
In general, it is up to you to decide how appropriate it is to use this program. The interface and ease of use really deserve all praise, but the problems with confirming registration and payment, if the amount of traffic you have is much higher than the limit, nullify the popularity of this software product (it is much easier to install the latest version of Opera browser with a built-in client on a PC or mobile device VPN, do not pay at all for anything and do not depend on any limits). Yes, and a direct competitor - the free SafeIP program - works just as well.